Things to Find in Dark Souls 2 DLC

The Dark Souls 2 Crown of the Sunken King DLC is a dizzying labyrinth of traps and secrets crammed with hidden things to find. We've collected a number of the most helpful Tips, Tricks, and Tactics to speed you on your way.

Find the Hidden Bonfires

The road to Elana is fairly tedious unless you know this secret. Just past the broken staircase in the deepest depths of Dragon’s Sanctum is a in a wide, dark passage running perpendicular to the vast chasm you’ve been descending. When facing the right spot, a stairwell to two knights will be out of sight on a corridor to your right, and a chasm will be far off to your left. Shoot the center of the wall at eye level to reveal a hidden Bonfire.

Another Bonfire is hidden near the spike pit in the Dragon's Sanctum. Near the ladder up from the pit is a moveable stone wall. To open it, head part way down the broken stone stairs and look over your shoulder. Hit the switch you see there and the panel will slide back revealing a Bonfire.

Try Before You Buy

Players who leave summoning signs just outside locked door to the DLC area may be summoned inside by other players from within Crown of the Sunken King. Summoning signs drawn near the monoliths outside the locked door to Shulva are duplicated inside a portion of the DLC zone, The Cave of the Dead, allowing summoned players to visit a special Challenge Route as guests.

To reach this area, travel to the Primal Bonfire just past the lair of The Rotten and touch the lit post there to teleport to the DLC lobby.

Locate the Repair Tree

A strange hidden tree provides free weapon repair services to travelers. His lair contains a couple of nifty treasures as well, including the Promised Walk of Peace hex.

Find the tree by breaking the red-eyed statues near the end of the main path through Shulva, hitting the switch behind, and crossing the bridge that rises.

Animate the Phantoms

The incorporeal phantoms you’ll encounter inside Dragons Sanctum are a big pain. They’re very difficult to harm, but can deal damage to you freely. There are seven of these nasty fellows grouped in a single area near the spike pit. To even the odds, enter the long left-descending starwell across the small bridge across from the spikes and destroy every red-glowing suit of armor you see along the walls. Each of these suits corresponds to a single phantom, and each one you wreck renders a phantom solid and vulnerable.

Don’t Miss the Blue Crystal Lizards

As you descend the inner depths of the Sanctum, you’ll eventually come to a single room with two vast rotating wheels. Switches on the floor allow you to move these heels from both sides.

Moving the wheels so that, facing inward from the door, the left-hand door's large circle is on the bottom and the right-hand circle's small door is on the bottom causes four rare Blue Crystal Lizards to drop into the main chamber between the wheels. If you’re wary and quick, you can shoot them through the small holes in the wheel for a valuable reward.

Lure Your Foes in Shulva

The ruins of Shulva are a nightmare of sudden drops and narrow paths, but you can make the terrain work for you if you prepare. Two elementary items, the Alluring Skull and the Yearn sorcery, can make your trip through this region much less painful. Both draw the attention of nearby foes to their location. Aimed off a cliff, they can draw enemy archer fire or lure many foes into leaping off the edge after them. Even if enemies don’t leap straight off, Lure still renders them vulnerable to backstabs or attacks which can give them an extra nudge.

Bring a Bow or Binoculars

Shulva and the Dragons Sanctum are rife with switches and movable pillars. Many of these can only be reached by carefully-aimed ranged attacks, so bring a bow and tons of arrows. Alternately, you can pack Binoculars, which allow you to aim your spells bow-style. Binoculars are hidden on a small path in Majula just before the entrance to Things Betwixt. Drop off the ledge near the sea between two boulders onto a small patch of land, then drop again to a path where you’ll find the Binoculars waiting.

Shulva and The Sanctum are also crammed with archers, crossbowmen, and spellcasters.

Watch Out for Switches

Playing with the pillar switches in Shulva will allow you to raise and lower platforms at will. By manipulating these, you’ll be able to gain access to the items you’ll spot hidden on upper and lower tiers of the stage. Keep a special look out for the pillar hidden behind red-eyed statues along the wall of Shulva near the small hilltop tower. A pillar behind these will lead you to a secret lair and several excellent items. Switches are also hidden high up, often on ceilings above doors, so keep your eyes peeled.